A former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mohammed Uwais, has died in the early hours of Friday at the age of 88.
The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Ondo State, Dr Kayode Ajulo, confirmed this passing in a statement made available to PUNCH Online on Friday.
Below are the things to know about Ex-CJN Uwais.
1. Justice Uwais was born on June 12, 1936, in Zaria, Kaduna State.
2. Justice Uwais was called to the Bar at Middle Temple, London, in 1963.
3. He began his legal career as a State Counsel in the Northern Region of Nigeria and rose through the ranks to become a Justice of the Supreme Court in 1979.
4. Justice Uwais was renowned for his commitment to judicial reforms and the independence of the judiciary.
5. In 1995, Uwais was appointed Chief Justice of Nigeria, a position he held until his retirement in 2006
6. After his retirement, he chaired the Presidential Electoral Reform Committee in 2007, inaugurated by late President Musa Yar’Adua, which produced the “Uwais Report.”
7. The report recommended significant changes to Nigeria’s electoral system, including the establishment of an independent electoral offences commission and reforms to the appointment process of the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
8. His wife, Mrs. Maryam Uwais, a lawyer, served in the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari as Special Adviser and Coordinator of the Social Investment Programmes.
